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It is the first time such an order has been sought in the county and understood to be only the second case in the UK.

A judge granted the order at Blackburn county court last week, with the father liable for immediate arrest if he breaks any of the terms.

Orders can include a requirement to hand over passports, stop intimidation and violence and disclosure of a person's whereabouts.

Sgt John Rigby, of a community cohesion team covering Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, said: "She had been put into the engagement against her wishes and quite recently the subject had been raised again and it was still not what she wanted.

"She had the full backing of her immediate family and had heard about the work we had been doing through our seminars and conferences with Asian women's groups in the community.

"This is our first order but we expect to see a gradual build up of requests to implement the legislation. Luckily it was at a point where we could look at a preventative and proactive approach without her having to give statements or look at criminal proceedings."

Forced marriages are distinct from arranged marriages, which take place with the consent of both parties.

According to Home Office statistics, 85 per cent of victims of forced marriages are women, aged 15-24, 90 per cent are Muslim and 90 per cent are of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage.

Anjum Anwar, chairman of Woman's Voice and cohesion worker at Blackburn Cathedral, said: "It is very important that we tackle forced marriages, but it is equally important that we don't make the assumption that the 40,000 Asians living in Blackburn are practising this.

"We have made good progress over the last 20 years to fight the problem of forced marriage. It puts girls in terrible danger. These orders will act as a safety net."